Tale of Balance, Tale of Ruin FFVI Novelized
by Felix0010
Summary: Previously called Final Fantasy VI - The Novel. Join the returners as they strive to take down the treacherous Empire. Updated now through chapter 9 with numerous small revisions done with the rest of the chapters.
1. The Invasion of Narshe

TALE OF BALANCE

TALE OF RUIN

A Novelization of Final Fantasy VI

By: Felix0010

CHAPTER

(-1-)

_**The Invasion of Narshe**_

She knew she must resist.

She tried to stop herself from getting into the machine, but she couldn't.

She resisted, then suddenly stopped and jumped into the machine's cockpit. Her conscious mind heard and saw everything as though it were through a blurry lens. Her mind was fogged and getting still foggier. She had no control over her own body. She couldn't even remember her own name.

The machine she was in, MagiTek Armor, buzzed and whirred and hummed as she made its tank-like bulk walk out of the hanger on its two legs next to two other similarly-suited. MagiTek Armor was huge and beastly looking, with spikes and frills poking every which way - and massive, razor sharp, jagged claws, used to tear apart anything in its path. On top of that, it had the ability to use elemental beams that could melt, freeze, or stun anything it wanted. All in all, this armor was the most powerful and feared piece of machinery in the world. The three in the armor walked out of the hanger bay area in the military base in the southern part of the Figaro Dessert and began to make their long journey to Narshe.

Narshe was a small town in the mountains, surrounded with snow, known for its many mined ores. Normally, it wouldn't be counted as much of a threat for the empire, but there were rumors. Rumors of something called an esper. Biggs and Wedge, the two men, weren't exactly sure what this esper was. Was it a single being, or a race of them? They only knew that it was a being with magic. They were ordered by Emperor Gestahl himself to go and retrieve it. The military force of the town was negligible, only a few guards with very little armor to protect them. Evidently, they were meant only to protect the town from wild animals. They marched for days and finally Narshe was in sight.

"There's the town!" Biggs said. "Do you think the esper is still alive?"

"Probably," said Wedge "judging from the urgency of our orders."

"And this woman, this... this sorceress. Why is she here? I heard she fried fifty of our MagiTek Armored soldiers in under three minutes!"

"Don't worry. She's been robbed of all conscious thought. She'll follow orders."

"Well then, move out!"

"Let's go!"

***

Meanwhile, inside the town, the wind whistled between the houses, as if trying to whisper to the rest of the world of the impending tragedy that was soon to happen here. Oblivious to the wind's prophecy, the citizens of Narshe walked around the streets, unaware of the slaughter that was to be.

Suddenly, one of the guards spotted two massive creatures that were made of metal, he turned to his fellow guard and said urgently,"Raise the alarm.", the other guard ran to the alarm bell, while the other guard ran through the streets yelling, "We're under attack! Imperial MagiTek Armor."

"Imperial MagiTek Armor?" Said the captain of the guard, putting his grip on hi sword "Not even Narshe is safe anymore!" By the time the MagiTek reached the gate about nine or ten men had surrounded the gate, waiting for the MagiTek to break through. Just then, the gate exploded. The scantily-armored men with fourth rate weapons charged the heavily-armored men with massive claws. It was useless, before they could even each the Armors they were mowed down like grass. They walked down the main road of the town and as they approached the far side of the city they found about sixteen or seventeen guards, plus a few men with various household tools, and a whole lot of trained attack wolves, called lobos had assembled there.

"Narshe's freedom depends on us!" said one of the guards, "We've got 'em trapped now!" said another. But alas, even though these men fought like lions, they too were shot down. Finally, they got to the mines. As they entered the mines, they found another group of guards and men.

"We must defend the mines!" they shouted. But no soldier without special training could even hope to defeat an Imperial MagiTek Armor, much less three. They went deeper into the mines and found the esper. It was large, green, dragonesque and was frozen in ice.

"We must protect the esper. Whelk! Get them!" shouted another guard. Suddenly, from an adjoining passage, a huge snail-like creature crawled in. Wedge started aiming at it, but Biggs stopped him.

"Hold it, Wedge!" Said Biggs "Think back to our briefing. Don't you recall hearing about a monster that eats lightning..."

"...and stores the energy in it's shell!" Finished Wedge.

"Right." Said Biggs "So whatever you do, don't attack the shell!"

"Alright, Biggs!" Said Wedge as he (in his MagiTek armor, of course) leaped at it, claws extended. He soon found that this was not a smart idea, since the whelk seemed to have a protective lightning shield. _Its a good thing this armor has electro-shock protection. _He thought, as the force of the lightning launched him back. He smashed into the cave wall, while the strange girl shot at it with a fire beam. It missed. Biggs shot an ice beam at it too, but he also missed.

Then the girl pressed a button and six missiles shot out of the shoulders of the Armor. _How come we don't get all the cool gadgets? _Thought Wedge, as he waited for the self-repair feature on the Armor to finish it's work.

Then he said "All three of us, shoot at him at the same time." "Got it!" Said Biggs. "Ready. Aim. _Fire!_" They did, and the giant snail's skin dissolved away, and it shriveled and died.

"Yes!" said Biggs.

"Oh yeah!" said Wedge.

The girl remained silent.

"Its creepy how she doesn't say anything." Wedge said.

"It's because of the slave crown. Now grab that thing and lets go." They approached the esper.

"_Stop!" _Said a deep, echoing voice within their minds. This startled the two of them a lot. "_I will not allow myself to be taken away." _The voice was slow and ancient; every word seemed to be filled with wisdom as it spoke. Biggs and Wedge realized that it was the esper. Whatever this thing was, it must be an ancient being. Suddenly, the eject feature on each of their Armors were activated. All three of them landed with a thump on the ground. They stood, but then found that they couldn't move a muscle.

"_Wedge, step forward." _Said the voice. Wedge stepped forward. "_Since it appears that you are the leader, you will be turned into an imp for a year and two months and a day, and will be teleported to your home land, Vector, but you will not be able to communicate with any human until the time has passed, if you survive." _And with that, he turned into a little red imp and disappeared.

"_Biggs, step forward." _Said the voice. Biggs stepped forward. "_Since you have been more of a follower than a leader, your punishment will be less severe than that other man. I will send you forward in time exactly a year from the moment you disappear." _Then Biggs disappeared, too. 

_"You, woman, step forward." _he said with great respect,the woman, not yet used to her new found freedom, stood still. "_I do not sense in you the same malice that was in the two others. I sense that you are a helpless pawn in a massive power struggle. So, instead of cursing you, I will help you. You will fall unconscious, and while you are asleep, a man will find you, a man who will see you for who you really are and will not try to kill you. I cannot promise that your life will be easy at all, for those who have just lost a great amount of power will stop at nothing to get it back, but it will be possible for you to survive. Go to sleep now, young one."_

And with that, the woman softly fell to the floor.


	2. Terra, Locke, And a Mob

CHAPTER

(-2-)

_**Terra, Locke, and a Mob**_

The girl was asleep in bed. An old man named Arvis had found her in the mines next to her MagiTek armor, and had taken her home and had hidden the MagiTek armor in a hidden niche in the cave. He was going to kill her right then and there, but then he noticed the slave crown on her head, and he realized she was nothing but a helpless pawn for the empire. _A slave crown_ he found himself thinking to himself, _Oh how I hate the empire, it'll rob her of most emotions for a very long time._ He then ventured to take off the slave crown, cautiously (for he wasn't surer if there was any protection around it) but it came off easily. The Empire most not have been thinking that this mission would fail. Within five minutes she was awake and sitting up in bed.  
"Where am I...?" The girl said  
"I only just removed your crown!" He said "I'm Arvis"  
"Thank... you... head... hurts..." She said, trying to get out of bed, she fell.  
"Take it easy!" Arvis said, helping her back into bed "This is a Slave Crown. The Empire had complete control over you while you were wearing it."  
"But, I can't remember a thing."  
"Don't worry. It'll all come back to you... in time, that is. She concentrated very hard. What was her name?  
Suddenly, the answer came to her "My name is... Terra." she said.  
"Impressive!" Arvis said "I've never heard of anyone recovering this fast."  
Suddenly a loud knock came from the door, "Open up!" Said a soldierly voice  
"Give us back the girl and the Empire's MagiTek Armor!"  
Terra was puzzled "Empire? Magitek Armor?"  
"Drat, I have to get you out of here!" Said Arvis "I don't have time to explain!" he walked over to his bookcase and pulled out a book entitled _How to Escape From A Building.  
_The bookcase slid over and revealed a door "Make your way through the mines! I'll keep these brutes occupied!" He pushed Terra through the door and slid the shelf back into place. Now to deal with the mob...

***

Behind the bookcase was a big library. A path on the far side of the room led Terra up some stairs. She didn't have much time to regain her memories or all of her sense and coordination, so she made a few mistakes. The first was that she didn't wait to regain her sense and coordination before continuing. The second is that she used absolutely no stealth when she crossed the bridge over the main road of the town (for this is where the passage went). The third is that she accidentally knocked loose one of the bridges boards as she crossed. "She's up there!" Roared a guard "Get her" A voice yelled.  
She ran as they Climbed up some stairs to get to the bridge. It was cold and dark and damp and there were rats everywhere. She ran up the path until it forked in two. She turned left. The cave went on for a long while and Terra could hear the angry voices of the mob not too far behind her. She ran and ran, until the ran into a dead end.  
"We got her now!" A voice said. Terra turned around the mob was catching up with her, and by the looks of it, they looked like they wanted revenge, not justice.  
Terra hoped for a lucky break, when suddenly, the ground broke beneath her. Terra was loosing consciousness, but she could hear voices. Bits of memories from not to long past. She saw an evil man who looked like a clown put the slave crown on her head. She saw Emperor Gestahl giving some kind of speech. (she couldn't remember what it was about.) She saw herself in the MagiTek armor killing. _NO, _she thought as her thoughts turned into an oblivion.

***

Arvis was waiting, nervously. The angry mob had gone home, believing her dead from the fall, but now about thirty soldiers had come into the city, for they wanted to retrieve her while there was any hope of retrieving her. Arvis decided that she needed protection, so he hired the best in the small town. He hired... There was a knock at the door. "Took you long enough!" He said as he opened the door. "How goes the robbing and plundering trade?"  
A man named Locke Stepped in. "I _prefer_ the term 'Treasure Hunter!'" He said  
"Ha! No difference!"  
"There's a HUGE difference!"  
"Well, that's beside the point."  
"You were the one who sent for me?"  
"Yes. I'd like you to protect...."  
"This better not have anything to do with that Magitek-riding, Imperial witch!" Locke said, cutting him off .  
"That girl wasn't responsible for her actions." Said Arvis "She had this slave crown on. We must get her to understand our dilemma! Imperial troops are pursuing her even as we speak. This town is no match for the Empire. Our independence can only be assured if we join forces with The Returners, the underground resistance movement."  
"All right, I'll go. Which way do I go?"  
"This way" Arvis said, leading him to the secret door. "Once you find her make your way to Figaro, and then talk to the king."  
"Okay." He said. "I'm off." He ran through the door, up the stairs, across the bridge and into the cave. From there he found the place where Terra fell. It wasn't too hard, the large mob of people left lots of footprints. He found some rope the miners had left behind and tied it to a thick stalagmite and climbed down the rope. There he found Terra, still unconscious.  
He was about to wake her when he saw an Imperial commander on the other side of the cavern. "Found her!" The commander said, and suddenly, a horde of large white beasts with collars around their necks. Each one was accompanied by a soldier nearby. "Wonderful." He said sarcastically "there's a whole bunch of 'em." He was about to unsheathe his daggers when suddenly he heard a voice from behind. "Kupo." Said the voice. "Moogles!" Said Locke Moogles were cute furry creatures that looked kind of like a teddy bear because of their fuzzyness and shape. They also had short, pointed ears, small wings, (only able to keep them hovering over the ground for short periods of time) and an antenna on top of its head with a bobble at the end.  
"Are you saying you want to help me?"  
"Kupo!!!" the moogles said, which probably meant yes. "Then move out!" Said Locke, liking the feeling of being an army commander. The battle was long and tough, but got easier once they realized that killing the soldier seems to free the beast, probably through mind control. Once they killed the commander, all of the beasts ran and the soldiers were lost and confused. They went back to Terra, but they still could not wake her up. So Locke decided to leave and start heading to Figaro.  
"Thanks Moogles!" He said "we're in your debt!" He grabbed Terra and put her over his shoulders and, not wanting to go through the city, came out the cave through a different path. Finally he came to a dead end. He searched for the secret lever.  
"I think this switch will..." Locke started to say, but he was cut off by a loud grunt from Terra. He put her down on the ground.  
"You back with us now?"  
"You... saved me?" She said, slowly.  
"Thank the Moogles, they're the ones who rescued you."  
"Thank you. I can't remember a thing. past or present. A man said my memory would come back."  
"Give it time." Locke said "You're safe with me! I won't leave you until your memory returns!" He pulled the switch and they started on their way to Figaro


	3. Figaro, It's King, And a Demented Clown

CHAPTER

(-3-)

_**Figaro, Its King, and a Demented Clown**_

"There's the grove." said Locke, pointing toward a grove of trees standing apart from the rest of the forest. Locke was a man, of rather average height, a build that leaned more toward the muscular build. He wore a thick leather jacket and a blue bandanna on his head. He had somewhat longer than average hair and always kept at least one knife within arms reach at all times.  
"What's so special about this grove?" Said Terra. Terra was tall for a girl, quite pretty, and wore a necklace with a strange symbol on it. She had long blond hair, green eyes, and smooth voice. She would have been the center of attention for all the boys in whatever town she lived, except for two problems. One, she never really actually lived in a town; and two, she rarely ever smiled. There was always a sadness in her eyes, a lonesomeness that didn't go away even when Locke told his worst jokes.  
"It's a chocobo grove." Said Locke. They made their way to the grove. It was filled with creatures that looked somewhat like an ostrich; it was yellow, had a thick neck, and a large beak. Chocobos were easy to tame and to ride. They snuck up on one each and leaped upon one. Chocobos were fast, and after they got to Figaro Dessert, they found Figaro quickly.  
Figaro Castle was an amazing and massive site. In addition to being a castle, it also was a small village for all of the guards and castle servants and workers. Its hugely massive grey walls stuck up into the sky imposingly.  
As they approached the gate, the guards yelled "Halt!" but after seeing the figure of Locke, they said "Oh, it's you, well, proceed. You should go on in." They walked into a large room.  
Locke got up and walked to the elegantly dressed man. He whispered something in his ear. "You mean, _this_ young woman?" He said, louder than he thought.  
"Who do you think you are, mister, talkint to me like that?" Said Terra.  
"Oh, sorry, how rude of me to turn my back to a lady! I am Edgar, _King_ of Figaro."  
"You surprised someone like me knows a king?" Locke whisered to Terra.  
Someone walked in and whispered something into Locke's ear. "Gotta go." He said "Talk to you later!" And walked out of the room.  
With the room empty, there was an awkward silence. Edgar broke it. "So, um, you're an Imperial soldier!" he said "No problem. Figaro and the Empire are allies! Please relax while you're here. It's not in my blood to harm a lady."  
"Why are you helping me?" Asked Terra "Is it because of my abilities?"  
"Three reasons:" Said Edgar "First of all, your beauty has captivated me! Second, I'm dying to know if I'm your type. I guess your _abilities_ would be a distant third."  
"May I go have a look at the castle?" Said Terra, looking for an excuse to leave.  
"Guess my technique's a bit rusty." He said to himself. "Alright, I will have a servant give you a guided tour."  
_I suppose a normal girl would have found him dashing, _thought Terra as a servant guided her away,_ But I'm hardly normal._ The servant guided her through the massive dining room, through the towers, and many other places. When they reached the library, there was an elderly woman sitting in a chair, staring at a picture of two young boys, Edgar obviously one of them.  
"That's King Edgar's Mother, Isabelle." Said the servant, "She's a sweet old lady." Isabelle looked at her and said,  
"That is a picture of my boys when they were young."  
"Edgar has a younger brother?"  
"He has a twin brother. He was such a nice boy. His name is Sabin. He looked so like his father! I wonder what he's like now?"  
"What do you mean?" Said Terra.  
"He ran away about fifteen years ago, when my husband, the old king of Figaro, died." Said the elderly woman.  
And, just then Edgar and Locke walked into the room "Well? How do you like my castle?" He said.  
"I like it ver..."  
"King Edgar!" Said a guard as he burst through the door "Someone from the Empire to see you!"  
"Please don't be Kefka." Said Edgar, crossing his fingers hoefully.  
"Who's Kefka?" Asked Terra.  
"Emperor Gestahl's own personal pawn," Said Locke  
"Probably sent to find you."  
"Then we must hide you." Said Edgar. "And I know just the place"

***

Not too far away, Kefka was making his way to the castle with two of his guards. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy, "Emperor Gestahl's stupid orders!" he said "I hate Gestahl. He sent me to Castle Figaro out in the middle of nowhere. I swear, if I have to do another recon job..."  
He took a few more steps over the last hill and saw Figaro. "Ahem. there's sand on my boots! I can't have a meeting with the king of Figaro with sand in my boots"  
His two soldiers jumped to attention. "Yes, Sir! All set, Sir!" they said as they emptied his boots of sand.  
"Idiots!" Kefka said as he approached Castle Figaro.  
As he approached, the guard spoke up "Sir Kefka!? What on earth br..." "  
Out of my way!" He said knocking the guard to the ground.

***

Edgar strode up the castle courtyard with Locke just behind him. He approached Kefka and said, "What brings Kefka, humble servant of Emperor Gestahl, into our lowly presence?"  
"A girl of no importance recently escaped from us. We heard she found _refuge_ here."  
"Hmmm..." Said Edgar "This doesn't have anything to do with this witch every one's been whispering about, does it?"  
"She... merely stole something of minor value. Is she here?"  
Edgar wanted to say, "Nothing but your pride," but instead he said "Well that's a tough one, you see, there are more girls here than grains of sand out there. I can't keep track of 'em all!"  
"Well, I'd hate to be you if we find out you're lying. I truly hope nothing happens to your precious Figaro...!" Kefka turned around with a flourish of his cape and walked out.  
Edgar and Locke walked back into the great hall of the castle. "Well," Said Locke "I'd say that guy's missing a few buttons."  
"The coast is clear," Said Edgar "Where's Terra?"  
Just then, one of the tiles of the floor slid aside. "Right here."  
Edgar spoke to to Locke "Take her to her room. She's had a long day" he said, then Spoke to Terra "I'd love to chat , but the Chancellor and I must plan our strategy. Sometimes I hate being a king! If you'll excuse me." he said, as he walked out of the room.  
"Follow me." Said Locke. Locke led her to her bedroom. "That room is yours" he said "I'll be in this one"  
Then Terra spoke. "I've heard about you. Is it true you're a thief?"  
"That's _treasure hunter_!" Locke said  
"Why is Edgar so sarcastic when he seaks to the emporors men?"  
"On the surface, Edgar pretends to support the Empire. The truth is, he's collaborating with the Returners, an organization opposed to the Empire. I am his contact with that group."  
"The old man in Narshe..."  
"...is one of us."  
"But, but I'm a soldier of the Empire!"  
"That's not true!" he said "They were using you! Things are different now."  
"I don't understand. Things are confusing. What do I do?"  
"I can't tell you what to do, but You don't have to decide right now. You'll soon find your way." Locke said as he walked into his room  
"But how will I know which way is right..." Said Terra, as she walked into her own room.

***

Kefka watched the whole conversation through his binoculars, he couldn't hear the words, but he saw the girl, and knew she was conspiring with that man.

"Well, well, well." He said "It appears that our girl was in the castle the whole time. I think it's time we give Edgar a little surprise."


	4. Fire, Escape, and Magic

CHAPTER  
(-4-)  
Fire, Escape, and Magic

Edgar awoke with a start. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know what. Then something shook him into reality. Perhaps it was all the sirens going off, or all the yelling and screaming going on, or even the smoke seeping into the room.  
"What the..." He said. Then a soldier walked in "What's happening?" he asked the man.  
"It's the Empire! It's Kefka!" Said the soldier.  
Edgar needed no more prompt then that. He quickly put on some more kingly looking stuff, and walked in the direction of the courtyard. He stopped when he found one of his servants. "Tell Locke to execute plan number 76." he said and walked by.  
When he found Kefka, he said in a calm but urgent tone, "What are you doing? This may constitute an ac..."  
"Bring me the girl, Now!" Interrupted Kefka, threateningly.  
"What are you talking about?" Said Edgar.  
"I saw her plotting with someone a man with a blue headband in one of the passageways."  
Edgar went pale, "Well, I wont give her to you." he said.  
"Well then," said Kefka "welcome to my barbecue! Ha ha ha ha!"  
Edgar turned and walked away and spoke to Chancellor Giovanni.  
"Get ready" He whispered.  
"Yes, Sir!" He whispered back while Edgar turned around.  
"Changed your mind?" he said.  
"I guess I have no choice." He said. "Or then again, maybe I do!"  
Just then, three chocobos appeared out of nowhere. Edgar jumped on the foremost one of them, and the all took off running at once.  
"How shameful," Said Kefka "that a king should flee, leaving his people behind! So delightful!"  
They passed under the terrace where Terra and Locke were and the chocobos stopped. They both jumped of the three foot terrace and landed each on a chocobo.  
"Yahoooo!" Locke said.  
Figaro submerge mode initiated Said a loud mechanical voice.  
"Nobody can defeat the people of Figaro!" Said the Chancellor.  
Then something amazing happened. The city submerged under the sand.  
Unfortunately, Kefka wasn't in the city when it submerged. Figaro's guards would have quickly put him in jail. But unfortunately he found himself alone with his two guards on the sand.  
"Get them!" Kefka yelled, and the two soldiers, now in MagiTek armor, chased the three adventurers on chocobo-back; and it is a commonly known fact that MagiTek armor is a little faster than even chocobos when put on full power.  
"We've got to get away." said Locke.  
"How?" Said Terra.  
"I don't know..." said Locke "Throw stuff at them."  
"We don't have anything." Edgar said.  
Just then, in a loud powerful commanding voice, Terra yelled, "Thunder" and a massive bolt of lightning came from the sky and zapped the two men in MagiTek armor. It must have done something, because the two armors exploded.  
"Son of a submariner," Screamed Kefka "You'll all pay for this. This isn't the last you've seen of Kefka."  
The three adventurers slowed down and stopped at an oasis. Edgar was dumbfounded. "Did you just see what I saw?"  
"Yeah." Said Locke "This kid seems..."  
"She's amazing!" Said Edgar "That was magic! Magic!"  
"M-m-m-Magic!? She used magic?"  
Edgar whispered something into Locke's ear, and Locke whispered something back. They both looked at her.  
"Terra," Said Edgar "where on earth did you learn that?"  
"This?" Terra said "I... um... well..."  
"Sorry," Said Edgar "but well..."  
"...But we didn't mean to make such a big deal of this..." Said Locke  
"...It's just that I've never actually seen magic before! Where did you learn that?"  
Terra looked perplexed.  
Then Locke broke in, "Edgar," he said "Terra can use magic, and we can't. That's the only difference between us. The fact is... we could use her help!"  
They traveled for hours until they came to an enclosed oasis.  
"We can rest here," Said Edgar, "My soldiers often stop here whenever they do marching drills."

***

"Terra," said Edgar from his sleeping bag "Locke and I have been talking, and there's someone we'd like you to meet."  
"Well, you see," Said Locke "we're members of the Returners, an underground of people resisting the empire."  
"Our mentor, Banon, would certainly like to meet you. Your magic is going to be the key to winning this war."  
"It just seems natural that I have been able to use this power. I've had it for as long as I can remember."  
"But no human is born with the powers you seem to have." Said Locke  
"I'm sure the Empire is going to come after you; and if they get their hands on you, the world's finished. Terra, you want to understand your own powers, right?"  
"Yes" Said Terra  
"Then I think we need to consult with Banon."  
"OK! To the south there's a cave that leads to South Figaro. We can restock supplies and refresh ourselves there. Then from there we will make our way to the secret Returner hideout."


	5. The Shadowy Ninja And The Two Thieves

CHAPTER

(-5-)

_**The Shadowy Ninja and the Two Thieves**_

They arrived at the cave early the next morning. There was a man dressed in a soldier's uniform. Edgar explained to Terra that he was a returner agent.

"King Edgar!" Said the soldier "Where are you headed?"

"Through the cave," said Edgar "and eastward to South Figaro." then he leaned in closer and whispered "Send word to the castle, and tell the others we're safe."

"Yes, Sir! I will, Sir. Take care, Sir!" They walked into the cave and through the passageways. Everything was cold, dark, and damp. Ugly looking larvae-like creatures weren't too hard to spot off to the side of the cave. Nobody liked walking through that cave, but eventually they got to the other side of the mountain. South Figaro wasn't too far away.

The city was busy and bustling. People walked every which way. Smells from a nearby bakery met their noses quite nicely, although other smells didn't leave quite as nice a smell with them. They quickly found the cafe and stopped there to refresh themselves a bit and inquire as to the location of a nearby inn. They talked to the man behind the counter they each ordered some dinner.

"You don't happen to be one of 'da man Duncan's students, do you?" He asked Edgar.

"No." He replied back, "Who's he?"

"He's a local martial artist trainer, one of the best in 'da world they say"

"His name sounds vaguely familiar" Said Edgar.

"I'd swear, one of 'da man's students looks just like you."

"Okay." Edgar said as he walked to his seat. He sat down. Just then Locke exclaimed "Mushrooms! I told them to hold the mushrooms. Can't stand mushrooms." He got up to go complain to the man at the counter, but stopped when he heard a low, menacing growl.

"Better watch it, " a deep, even voice said from a dark corner "that dog eats strangers for breakfast."

He continued on and got a mushroom-less meal and sat back down. "What's that guy's problem?" He asked. Just then, the man stood up. He was wearing a dark black ninja uniform, two katanas sheathed behind his back, and an array of throwing daggers and shruikens at his side. There was an aura of mystery about him.

"He seems vaguely familiar." Said Edgar "Wait a minute! That's Shadow. He owes allegiance to nobody, and would do anything for money. He appears and disappears like the wind. He'd probably kill his own brother for enough gold."

"Best to steer clear of him then, I guess." Said Locke They finished eating, paid for the food and left.

"Now we should go and find the inn." Said Edgar.

"One last stop." Said Locke "First, we need to get Terra a weapon." They found the weapon shop and looked around a bit. The building was not large, but not small either. It had an array of swords, battleaxes, spears, knives, and many other sorts of weapons hung on the walls.

"We need a weapon that someone like this young lady can use." Locke asked the shop's owner. "What do you recommend?"

"'Ow 'bout somezeeng light, like a dagger, or cutlass"

"What do you have in the way of cutlasses?" Locke asked the shopkeeper.

"I know just vhat you are looking for." He said, disappearing behind a back door, then popping back out after a minute.

"Heer it is, it is called ze Regal Cutlass."

"Does that mean it was owned by kings?" Asked Locke.

"Vell, nope."

"Queens"

"No."

"Princes? Princesses?"

"Nope."

"Then why is it called the regal cutlass?" interrupted Edgar.

"Because I like ze name. Eet is only one-hundred gil."

"Alright, Alright, we'll buy it." Said Edgar, wanting to be rid of the man. They paid for the cutlass and left, thankful to be rid of the shopkeeper. They went to the inn and got a room. They all quickly fell asleep after such an eventful day and had a good nights sleep.

***

As they left the inn the next morning, they found it just as busy as when they first found it. There was a newspaper boy yelling "Extra! Extra!" and talking about someone named Duncan who had disappeared early the previous morning, and how police thought he was murdered by his son, Vargas.

People walked this way and that, but the three adventurers needed to continue through to the returners hideout. They found their way out of the city and continued on their way to the hideout. As they walked through the countryside, the scenery got more and more beautiful, the trees were greener, and the sounds of various animals could easily be heard. It was getting very dark and cold, they needed to stop somewhere soon. Things changed though, when they stopped by a certain house. Something was wrong. There were two men breaking into the house.

"What are you doing?" Asked Edgar, in his most authoritative voice.

"Oh, well" Said one of the men "We were trying to get into my house but the key broke in the lock."

"Is that all," Said Locke "if you want, I can pick the lock for you."

"But the key..."

"No problem."

The two men looked at each other, "All right."

Locke started to walk past the men, but pulled a sudden move. He pulled the man's pant leg up. "Hey!" Said the man.

"Just as I thought," Said Locke "a concealed weapon. You men _are_ thieves."

"Not true, sir." said the man, "We just got off guard duty, me and my friend were here to warm up a bit. We just forgot to remove these daggers."

"Then why aren't your faces all red? If you were on guard duty all night, your faces would be red from the cold."

"Get him!" Said the thieves. Before they could even move, the two thieves had already thrown their throwing knifes and drawn their daggers. Edgar ducked, which is fortunate, for both of those knives were aimed at him. He pulled out his crossbow and pulled the trigger. Instantly, a volley of arrows were launched at the two assailants. They dodged them with relative ease. They charged Edgar and Locke with their short sword raised in the air. Normally, short sword welding opponents are easy to take down, but these men had super fast reflexes. Suddenly, a voice called out, "_Thunder_" and two bolts of lightning came down and struck the men's hands. They both fell to the ground, stunned.

They tied the two men up, and when the stunnedness wore off, Locke said, "Now tell me, what are you really? Your reflexes tell me that you are martial artists of some sort. I would say that you were trained under master Duncan, but he's a good man, and none of his students would do such a thing. But, I am fairly certain that you aren't just petty thieves. Tell me, what are you?"

"I am just a regular thief." Said the man.

"He's lying." said Terra. "I can just sense it. He has more sinister reasons for being here."

"How did..." said the other man before he was interrupted.

"Just shut up." said the first man.

"You might as well just tell me," said Edgar, "we're going to find out anyway."

"Well, we..."

"Just..." but then, Locke gagged him. "Now go on" he said.

"Well, wez'n just humble assassins. Sum'n came to us and asked us to knock off this man. What was his name? Rabbit, Robbin, that's it, Sabin. We were just about to break in and put some of this stuff into his orange juice..."

"Sabin?" Said Edgar "Where is he? Is he here?"

"He's probably out meditating on top of Mt. Kolts. Many of Duncan's students meditate there.

"Then let's go!" Said Edgar as he started running toward Mt. Kolts. The others followed him.

"Hey there!" Said the man, "Aren't you going to untie us. You've got to at least report us so that we don't have to wait here all night."

"We'll send someone... Eventually."


	6. The Murderer and The Bodybuilder

CHAPTER

(-6-)

**The Murderer and The Bodybuilder**

The mountain was steep, but beautiful. Terra could see why Duncan's students used this mountain to meditate. The view was amazing, the slope had many green trees, and the atmosphere was somewhat serene, especially considering the circumstances. The higher up you went, the more beautiful the view became. They had considered stopping to rest, but none of them could get to sleep. For some reason, Terra had the feeling that she was being watched, but she dismissed them as figments of her imagination. They climbed at a slow rate, crossing over many rickety bridges. They even had to find their way over chasms, where the bridge had collapsed, by finding another bridge somewhere else. Finally, they approached the summit.

That being-watched feeling returned to Terra again, but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. They approached a flight of stairs to reach the actual summit. Terra had a really bad feeling.

"Sabin sent you, right?" A mysterious, even,threatening voice spoke from a rock.

"Who... Where are you? Where is Sabin?" Asked Edgar.

"You were the one who was shadowing us, Right?" Asked Locke

"You had the feeling we were being watched, too?" Asked Terra.

"Yes..."

"_What _does Sabin want with me?" The man said, more demandingly.

"I don't even know your name." Said Edgar.

"Don't lie to me, I know you're his servants." Said the man, stepping out of the shadow of the rock.

"I am Vargas, the best martial artist in the world. I'm a lot better then that old fool Duncan. Now tell me, _where is he?_" Vargas was tall and strong. He had pincher-shaped claws strapped to his hands. He had a pointed beard, and a bear chest. His face revealed a permanent scowl.

"I _don't know." _said Edgar slowly.

"Then you will die for lying to me. But wait, I see things are a bit uneven. Bears!" he said. Then, two bears leapt down the stairs.

Edgar raised his automatic crossbow and pulled the trigger. A spray of bolts launched out, but the bolts couldn't penetrate the thick fur.

"Fry them, Terra!" Yelled Locke.

"Blizzard" Yelled Terra. A large icicle formed above each of them. Then they fell, impaling both of the bears.

"I told you to fry them, but whatever you feel like works for me." Said Locke. "Now could you fry _him_?_"_

Terra took a deep breath, and then the faces of Narshe's guards appeared in her mind's eye, and she couldn't do it. "I... I can't"

Edgar raised his crossbow again, but to his dismay, he had only one bolt left. He dropped the crossbow, drew his sword, and charged. Somehow, Vargas managed to catch the sword in his claw, and and try to twist it out of his hand. But a great number of two-people-trying to-gain-possession-of-the-same-object matches with his brother had strengthened his grip. He managed to hold on, but then Vargas, still in possession of the sword, kicked Edgar in a very painful spot.

Edgar collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. Vargas turned around and ducked just in time to dodge Locke's twin daggers. He managed to parry every one of Locke's stabs and slashes. He managed somehow, using a secret technique, to twist Locke's arm behind his back. He then raised his clawed fist and walked menacingly toward Terra. "Oh come on, I expected at least a challenge."

"Give it up, Vargas!" Said a serious voice. Suddenly, Sabin jumped from a shadow, knuckles extended. Vargas barely had time to dodge.

"_You"_ said Vargas. "You stole my rightful place as Duncan's heir.

" "Why? Why did you kill your own father like that. You killed him in his sleep. He died without even a fight. We still can't find the body."

"Fool! I already said that he made the mistake of choosing you as his successor! He snubbed me, his only son. He was a fool and had to be taken care of."

"No! You were the one he chose!"

"You are a liar!"

"No! Our Master wanted you to be his successor, not me. He appreciated your spirit and zeal."

"Enough of your lies! Now, have a taste of my superior technique!" They fought hand to hand, literally. The battle lasted a long time and both of them were getting tired. By then both Edgar and Locke had sufficiently recovered.

"Ah, Sabin!" Said Vargas "The master taught you well!"

"I didn't want to, but I guess there's no avoiding this!"

"Fate made us train together, and fate will send you to your doom! You will die."

"I tire of this fight. Time to put an end to this!" He took a few steps back, and then leaped forward. He was punching at a speed which no mortal could. Vargas couldn't block or dodge fast enough.

"W-what the heck? He taught you.... that!?" Vargas said, then he pulled something out of his pocket and threw it hard on the ground. A puff of dark black smoke appeared and Vargas disappeared.

"Vargas," Said Sabin mournfully "If only you hadn't been in such a rush for power. You would have received it anyway, and you wouldn't need to be running."

Edgar was already on his feet "Sabin!" he exclaimed. Sabin turned around and slowly said "Big brother?" They ran toward each other and embraced.

"The brothers are reunited!" Said Locke "Younger brother?" Said Terra "At first glance I thought he was some body builder who had strayed from his gym." Everyone was dumbfounded, this was the first attempt she had ever made at humor. Sabin turned around,

"Bodybuilder, eh. I'll take that as a compliment. But, brother, what are you doing here?"

"We're on the way through the Sabil mountains." Said Edgar

"To the Returners' hideout, no doubt?"

"How did you..."

"I keep tabs on everything that goes on." Said Sabin "Figaro... will become a puppet to the Emperor if she doesn't resist."

"I know, I've got that taken care of." Said Edgar "Our time to strike back is _now._ The empire is going to pay for what it has and will do."

"Do you think a "bodybuilder" like me could help you in your fight?" He said, looking mirthfully at Terra.

"You mean... you'd actually join us?"

"I think Duncan would rest easier if he knew his star pupil played a part in bringing peace to the world."

"Then let's get going!" Said Locke.

"We should stay in one of these caves for the night," Said Sabin "then we should make our way down the mountain."

"Okay." Said Terra.

***

"Time to wake up." Said Edgar. Everyone woke up, and breakfast was already made (consisting of bread and bear meat). Edgar was in a very good mood. They ate breakfast and were ready to go. After a couple of hours of descending the mountain, they finally arrived at the base of it.

"Sorry guys," Said Sabin, "but I have some... business at South Figaro"

"Alright then." Said Edgar "We're going to South Figaro."

"But Ed..." Started Locke.

"We_ will_ go with him." Said Edgar, forcefully.

"Okay."

***

They traveled back to South Figaro. The two brothers chatted incessantly. Talking about everything from the various grand masters to Edgar's previous crushes (which happened to be most of the people at Figaro Castle).

"So, uh..." Said Locke "How were you able to move that fast with that move there? I can't even move half as fast as you can."

"What? Oh, that's just a blitz technique, that one was called 'pummel'. It's just a simple matter of slowing down time." Sabin said with a chuckle. Locke wasn't quite sure whether he was joking or not.

After they reached the city, Sabin led them all down the streets to a certain house. They knocked on the door. "This is Master Duncan's house."

"Hello?" said an old, but strong voice.

"Its Sabin" Said Sabin.

"Sabin? Well come on in. And who are your friends here?" Sabin introduced them as the Duncan's Wife sat them down and got them tea.

"Sabin," said the old woman "Where is my husband?"

Sabin got really uncomfortable. "Vargas, your son, you know he wasn't the best person in the world. He... He... He killed... Master." Tears were streaming down Mrs Duncan's and Sabin's cheeks.

"Vargas... He always suspected others of stealing what was rightfully his. That is what caused him to do it. He suspected you."

"It's alright." He said, comforting his master's wife, "For ten years you've treated me like a son. I will be eternally grateful."

"Fortunately, Duncan got the feeling that his son couldn't be trusted, so he taught his most secret techniques to you. That may make you one of the best martial artists in the world."

"I have decided to go with these three on a quest to restore some sanity to the world. It's... It's what Master would have wanted me to do."

"You all must be tired. Why don't you stay here for the night?"

"It's alright, you shouldn't..."

"I insist."

"Okay, we'll do that."

***

Meanwhile, in another house in the city...

George Golbez was sitting at his desk in his own bedroom in his house. George was the richest man in South Figaro. And he was planning on becoming richer. He was writing on a piece of paper. Every once in a while he would look up and glance about, as if someone was watching him. He looked at his piece of paper again and wrote some more: 

_To: Gen. K. Pallanzo of The Empire_

_From: Mr. G. Golbez,_

_ Sir,  
_ _ I am writing in regards to the letter you sent me some time ago.  
I know that_ _ I do not _need _the money, but it would make a great  
addition to my collection._ _ I have the information you need. The  
best place t--_

Suddenly, a maid walked into the room, George quickly but smoothly turned the paper over, the maid spoke "Here's your medicine, just as the doctor ordered." and handed him a flask of something nasty looking. 

_How can something like this be a cure for insomnia?_ he wondered. _Oh well, I guess I can finish this letter in the morning..._


	7. The Hideout of the Returners

CHAPTER

(-7-)

_**The Hideout of the Returners**_

The next day, the four of them awoke to a large breakfast. It was late morning. The sun wasn't too high in the sky. Duncan's wife made sure they had enough to eat. They ate until they were satisfied.

"Well," Said Sabin, "I'm afraid that it's time that we must leave."

"Can't you stay? Just until lunch?"

"I'm afraid we must go."

"All right then, but before you go, I've got something for you." She stepped into the other room and came back with four pouches. They all contained two things: a potion bottle, filled with a pinkish fluid; and another bottle, filled with a soft, red, powder. "Here is a health tonic and some powdered phoenix down. These should serve to be useful on your quest. The tonic will heal most non-major wounds and restore your energy. The phoenix down will restore life to those nearly dead."

"Thank you." said Edgar. "Goodbye." They left the house and traveled all day, and arrived by night at the Returners Hideout. It was a cave in the side of a mountain. In the mouth of the cave was a bar-shaped device, affixed to a stalagmite. The ground was rough and rocky.

"What is that?" said Terra, pointing at the bar-shaped device.

"A silencing device," Said Locke "stolen from the empire. You can't hear a thing that comes from the inside of that cave. Guess who got it from them."

"Let me guess," answered Edgar, "You?"

They all laughed, including Terra. They entered the cave. There was a guard, he snapped up to attention.

"King Edgar!" he said tensely "Bannon wants to see you. This way." He led the way through the cave and into a large cavern. In this cavern, the floor was flat, and in the middle of it was a large banquet table. They went through the room and into an adjoining room. There was an old man, with long, grey hair; a moderate stature, and colored robes. On the chest of his robes was a symbol, the sun rising between the peaks of two mountains with a rainbow between them, probably the Returners' symbol.

"Bannon!" Said the guard, "They have arrived." and with that, he left the room.

"We brought her with us." Said Edgar. Bannon turned around and walked over to Terra. "Are you the one who can talk to Espers"

"Espers?" asked Terra.

"She doesn't remember anything. The empire had complete control over her."

"How do you know who I am?"

"I have got mail pigeons from Arvis telling me about you. I suspect you are also the same person who fried a squad of MagiTek armored men in less than five minutes."

"That's a lie. I... I- I Never killed any man." Said Terra, she started crying and hurriedly ran out of the room.

"Bannon!" Said Locke, "We said she doesn't know _anything_. She had a slave crown on the entire time."

"I should have held my tongue." Bannon said, regretfully "I will go apologize.

" He found her in a small side cave, sitting with her hands around her legs. Her eyes were red with crying. Bannon spoke, "I am sorry for my words. I shouldn't have said what I said. Will you forgive me?"

Terra nodded her head, slowly. "I have a story to tell you. Perhaps you've heard it. Once, a long time ago, when people were pure and innocent, there was this box. Everyone was told never to open it. But someone went and opened it anyway, out of curiosity. She unleashed all the evils of the world: envy, greed, hate, pride, lust, contention, violence, the thirst to control others. All that was left in the box was a single ray of light – hope."

Terra had stopped crying and was listening intently. "Now, we confront these evils. You are all we have left; our last ray of light; our only hope."

Suddenly, Sabin walked in, "Bannon! There you are. We've been looking for you."

"I'm sorry." Bannon said

"I would love to continue this conversation, but after all, I'm not so young as I once was. I must rest a while."

"We should all take a rest."

"I'll have someone guide you to your rooms."

***

When Terra awoke the next day, Her mind was very groggy from having just woken up, but something nagged at her at the back of her mind. Then it came to her, she was likely to decide whether to become a Returner. She was the only true magic-user in the world, but she was weak and so young. _How can anybody put their trust in me? _She thought, _aside from my powers, I am weak, I have no charisma, no physical strength, no incredible smarts, nothing to make me a great leader, a guiding light to the world. How can anybody put their trust in me._

After she changed, she walked out of her room, the first person she saw was Edgar. She needed to find a reason to – or not to – join the returners.

"Edgar," She said, "Why did you become a returner? You have a comfortable life, free from all worry and care. Why should you have wanted to turn against it?"

"Why would a beautiful lady like you want to know?"

"I need help... deciding."

"Oh, Okay then. When my father died, there was a rumor going around that the Empire poisoned him. I was thinking about sending a spy or two to confirm it, but then a thought came to me. 'If you have to wonder whether the Empire actually poisoned him, they must already be corrupt enough to do it even if he died of natural causes.' Then, a month or two later, a man was on trial for siding with the returners. I visited him in disguise, and found out about them, and somehow, I found myself among their ranks."

She walked into the only other adjoining room. It was a large hall with lots of tables scattered about, it probably became a banquet hall when the need came. Sabin and Locke were eating at one of them.

"You're up." Said Sabin.

"Yes, up and hungry." Terra replied, "What's for breakfast?"

"Chocobo eggs and bacon. Go help yourself."

A minute later she returned with plate. "So, Locke," she said, "I was wondering, why did you join the returners?" Locke got one of those faraway looks in his eyes, the kind you get when you mentally go back in time. Finally, he said "Someone important to me was killed by the Empire. I've hated the Empire ever since. I joined the Returners when I realized the Empire was rotten to the core. I wanted to make a difference."

"But, I have nobody to fight for. Nobody is depending on me to join the returners."

"That's not true. I'm sure there are tons of people who feel you're important to them! You are the only person in the world with magic. Everyone thinks you're important."

"Okay." Terra said as she stood up and walked away, leaving some of her breakfast behind her. She approached a guard and asked him where Bannon was.

"Bannon? He went outside last I heard." She wound her way outside and found Bannon, standing outside staring out the mountainside.

"It's beautiful here." Said Bannon, without even turning around, "The sunrise peaks out between those two peaks. It is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. To me it symbolizes the new era we are trying to usher in." He turned around and seemed to notice Terra for the first time, "Ah, Terra, have you made a decision? Will you become our last ray of hope?"

"I... I... I think... I will."

"You will? Really!"

"Yes, But I'm scared. The Empire is a powerful enemy."

"We will succeed, but only if everyone works together, play off each other's strengths, protect each other's weakness. If you all do this, then you will be sure to win."

"But–"

"All will be explained at the meeting after the banquet tonight."

***

To Terra it seemed like forever for the meeting to start.

The hours dragged by, slowly ticking from second to second, minute to minute, hour to hour.

Finally, it was time for the feast to start. Bannon had Terra sit directly on his right. Towards the end of the dinner, Bannon stood up. "Fellow returners, tonight we are celebrating our new hope. That which we had but hoped for has finally come to pass. Terra has decided to join our quest." the room exploded into applause.

Everyone cheered. The feast went on happily. At the end, everyone was full. Then they all cleared away the plates and left the room, leaving Terra, Locke, Edgar, Bannon, and a few other Returner officers.

After everyone was introduced to each other, Bannon stood up. "Sirs, we might as well get to the point. We all know that the Empire is using MagiTek power in battle. The question is, how has the Emperor created it?"

Edgar spoke up "I looked into a rumor that the Empire is forcing the world's finest scholars to study Espers."

"You know," Said Locke "All the trouble in Narshe is over an Esper, too."

"I wonder if that must mean that there's a connection between Espers and MagiTek." Exclaimed a Returner officer.

Banon sat thoughtfully for a while and thought. "I can only recall one thing linking Espers with MagiTek power..."

"Oh Odin! You don't mean..." Said Edgar

"Yes, I do mean it, indeed! The ancient War of the Magi."

There were many shouts of "No!" and "It can't be!" from all over the table.

Terra spoke to Locke, "What's the War of The Magi"

"My Grandma used to tell me stories about magical machines." Locke responded "She told me this story often. Long ago, these creatures called espers got themselves involved in a war. They fought for a very long time.

"Some gave their powers to ordinary humans, and they became mage warriors. They used the mage warriors as pawns and the warriors themselves infused their power into machines. They gained the ability to breathe fire, to freeze their enemies with a glance, and to stun even the most heavily armored foe.

"They fought for ten years. For ten long and terrible years. The War of the Magi reduced the world to a scorched wasteland. For some reason, Magic simply ceased to exist, and the earth was left desolate of technology. The espers were never seen again, except in fairy tales where they grant wishes, or challenge a wayfaring traveler to a moral test while in disguise or something like that, until now."

Edgar spoke, solemnly, "Could that ancient tragedy be playing out once again?"

"All of the stories seem to be just speculation," Said Bannon, "but historical studies _have_ provided a number of conflicting and frightening theories. According to Locke's story, humans and machines were imbued with powers drained from Espers."

"That could explain where MagiTek power came from." Terra exclaimed.

"So MagiTek Armor is machinery infused with magic power." Said a Lieutenant.

Edgar spoke "The only power we know of that can stand up to MagiTek power is MagiTek power, and _magic _power."

"Then we should break into the Imperial Research Facility in Vector." The Lieutenant said.

"No!" Said Bannon "We're woefully under-equipped. We'd never have a chance."

"Then what should we do? Slowly increase our numbers? We must strike now."

There was a silence in the room.

"It's risky," Said Bannon "but if Terra... speaks with that Esper, it might just wake up."

"Is that really wise? for all we know, he... she... it could fry us all into an oblivion."

"Who can say? It spared her once. Regardless, we need Terra's help."

"Terra will you-"

Locke started, but was interrupted by Terra. "I'll do it!"

Bannon spoke "Okay, then we'll--" Just then, a bell rung somewhere. "What? What is the emergency bell ringing for."

Then, a man dragged himself in. He had a deep gash in his side. His clothes were soaked in blood. "Emergency! Sir Banon..." He said

"Go on." Bannon said, urgently but gently.

The man was trembling, "S- S- South Figaro..."

"What's going on? What happened in South Figaro?"

"The E- Empire -- took Figaro – Coming – this way..."

And with that he fell to the floor. "You!" Bannon said, pointing to a Captain, "Get him some medical attention. You," pointing to the Lieutenant, "Initiate emergency evacuation procedures. Fall back to the backup hideout. Do not let anyone leave the base when you get there without my express permission. I can't risk having a leak somewhere in this hideout."

"Yes sir!" The Lieutenant said, then he ran off.

Bannon spoke again, "Locke-"

"Yes, yes, I know. _Someone_ has to sneak into South Figaro and slow the Empire down, right? And by someone you mean me "

"It _is_ right up your alley."

"I know, but why can't someone else do it, I'd rather stay with you."

"You are the thief-"

"T_reasure hunter."_

_"_Right, you are the Treasure hunter, and are the best qualified person we've got. Good luck!"

Locke turned and whispered to Terra, "Terra, wait for me. And please, don't let a lecherous young king, who shall remain unnamed, near you!"

"Hey!" Edgar said. "What're we going to do?" Asked Terra.

Bannon spoke "We'll escape north by raft down the Letè River, and make our way to Narshe. The rafts are kept well stocked with food and supplies. I want to see that Esper for myself. We have a raft. The Letè river is dangerous, but we are fresh out of other options."

"Let's go!"


	8. The Resistor and The Octopus

CHAPTER

(-8-)

_**The Octopus and The Resistor**_

The air was cool, but not cold. It was an overcast day, which threatened rain, but never carried out that threat. All in all, it was a good day for a rafting trip, it would have been enjoyable, if only there weren't such powerful rapids. For the first few hours, they had to dodge their way through the rapids, but after that, the water calmed down and became a stream.

They flowed lazily along, tired from all the paddling they had just gone through. Edgar snapped his fingers "Ah dangit, I forgot to refill my stock of bolts at the Hideout. It's a good thing they handed me a spear."

Terra sat down on the edge of the raft, and was about to stick her feet in the water, when Bannon suddenly yelled "No!"'

Everyone froze.

"Do not stick your feet into the water," he said.

"Why?" asked Terra.

"Let me show you," he said, and took a crossbow out of the raft's supply pack, aimed, and shot a bird of some sort out of the air. It fell and landed in the water, about fifteen feet from the raft, when suddenly there was a flash of light, and the air was charged with static electricity. "In this part of the river, there are fish called azpiks, which are known as the most deadly fish on earth. They wait for something foolish to land in the water, and zap! The foolish animal is dead, already cooked, and ready to be eaten. The only fish which are found in this river are those who have adapted somehow to absorb the shock that the fish packs, they eat whatever the azpiks are too slow to get to, or the azpiks themselves, if they can somehow manage it."

"Wow! Some fish!" Said Locke, "How come these things haven't been used as weapons?"

"They're known as the most dangerous fish for more than that one reason."

"Oh." Said Locke.

They rested until their energy had returned enough, and then started paddling down the river. They kept on going until they reached a cave with a bit of ground to rest for the night in. Terra claimed that there was also a protective barrier around this bit of land.

"We are now leaving azpik territory." Said Bannon, "Azpiks cant stand the lack of light here during the day, or the incredibly cold temperatures during the night. This tunnel is probably the only reason why they haven't taken over the world's oceans."

They unpacked their possessions, had a dinner of dried meat and bread, for there was no dry wood for a fire, and went to bed.

***

Meanwhile, in a city farther to the east...

King Fredrick of Doma looked out from the castle's tallest tower. To the west, he could see the empire's camp. He sighed, The Empire was trying to take over the land of Doma, but Fredrick was not going to let The Empire beat Doma as quickly as it beat other nations. Doma had a formidable army, and had the resolve never to lose. If the rest of Doma were to hear of the fall of Doma Castle and City, their spirits would probably be crushed, and would probably surrender to the enemy, even if they only wanted the one city.

The King vowed never to let that happen.

***

The next morning, they had some more of the dried meat, then broke down their tents and got ready to go. Sabin, Locke and Edgar got in the boat, but just before Terra got in Bannon stopped her.

"Wait, Terra! Before we continue, I want to give you gift." He reached over and grabbed a pair of gloves. "These are genji gloves, they are supposed to help you fight better with your sword when you wear them, but it will not help you if you decide to use a shield."

"But I thought that magic disappeared after the War of The Magi." Terra said.

"Everyone knows magic exists. It's just that the ability to use black and white magic and the other obscure forms of magic by _humans_ disappeared with the war. Many animals have the ability to use a little magic, like the azipk, or the rhodox, which is known to sometimes heal its own mortal wounds just before it dies. And relics from the War of The Magi are rare, so many people haven't heard of them. And some people have re-learned, if it's possible to learn, how to use magic. Like some advanced forms of martial arts. Has Sabin shown you any tricks yet?"

"Well, he did seem to move impossibly fast when he was fighting Vargas."

"Yes, though his magic isn't as controllable as yours, and almost always can't damage from a distance, it still is a sort of magic, even though some would call it something else."

"Hmmm... Well thank you for the gift, I'll use it often?"

"Not too often. You should rely on your magic, not your sword. But, just in case, wear them. Use your sword as a last resort. Perhaps it would be a good idea if you trained with your sword _without _wearing the gloves as soon as possible. Especially in these times, you can never learn to fight too well."

"Well we should get going."

The day was clear and sunny, there were no rapids, and everyone's moods were very good. Today was a good day to be rafting. The current wasn't too strong, so they had to paddle to keep up a good speed. Eventually, the river widened out and went into a V-shaped fork.

"We need to take the left fork." Said Bannon.

Suddenly, there was a great rumbling noise and a purple creature rose to the surface. "What is that thing?" Asked Locke.

"It's Ultros, baby!" It said "And I'm hungry. It takes a lot of food to sustain a member of octopus royalty." Only the creature's purple head, and the tips of his tentacles poked out above the water. It had big eyes, and an even bigger grin. His voice sounded annoying and spoiled, but not dripping with pride. His eight ugly tentacles looked as if they were long and powerful.

"Just look at these delicious morsels, people." He said "Just let me get my bib.

" "What is that thing, Bannon?" Asked Terra. "I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this."

Edgar got out a spear and waited, Sabin went into a stance. Ultros laughed "Hey! Don't tease the octopus, kids!" And with that, he lunged. Luckily, Edgar was fast, and he managed to stab one of his tentacles with his spear. Terra yelled "Fire" and a ball of fire struck Ultros' head.

"Yaouch! I 'aint going to become seafood soup!" He struck out with a tentacle, this time towards Sabin. Sabin sidestepped out of the way, then jumped onto Ultros' head, punched him a few times in the head, before his tentacle reached back to grab him, then he jumped cleanly back onto the raft.

"Argh." Ultros said "I hate muscle-heads. Well, I guess I'll be leaving now. That's all friends." then he submerged undre the water.

"Yes! We thrashed it." Said Sabin

"I wouldn't bet on it." Said Bannon "It may just be hiding."

Suddenly Terra screamed. "Hey Something's stuck to my leg!"

Edgar jumped at it and stabbed the tentacle with his spear. Terra was caught off balance and fell backward. Bannon caught her and said soothingly "It's all right now."

Sabin stepped back "Watch out!" He said "I'm going to hit it with a blitz technique!" Edgar got in front of him.

"No, don't Sabin! You'll land in the water and we'll have to fish you out.

"Get out of my way, please, brother." Edgar slowly stepped out of the way and Sabin jumped out at him, yelling "Aura bolt," suddenly, one of Ultros' tentacles grabbed him and pulled him underwater. "Sabin!" Terra yelled "Don't worry about him." said Edgar "He's always been a tad zealous."

Bannon looked worried "You sure that he's okay?"

"Oh, Sabin just likes to keep people in suspense. I'll bet that at any moment he'll flop right onto the raft!" They waited. And waited. They waited for what seemed like hours, though in reality was probably only a minute, then Sabin flew into the air, and landed in the wrong half of the river. He was unconscious, and was heading the wrong way. He seemed to regain consciousness long enough to grab onto a large branch that happened to be floating by, and lost consciousness again.

"Sabin!" Terra yelled "Sabin!"

"Sabin!" Said Edgar "You better take care of yourself!"

* * *

_Please Rate and review, or at least send me some cookies - especially if you actually liked this story._


	9. A General, A Lunatic, and A Ninja

CHAPTER

(-8-)

_**Three Generals, a Lunatic, and A Ninja**_

"There he is!" Yelled a soldier's voice. "Get him!"

The man turned a corner, he noticed an alley he could hide in. _Guards always expect that._ He thought to himself. He jumped behind a large vase in front of a ceramics shop. His gamble payed off. The soldiers noticed the alleyway too and walked into it. Locke dashed up the street and entered the third shop he found. "Phew." Locke said to himself. He had damaged some of the empire's war machines, wreaked some havoc, and made off with a few 'treasures' of his own. He casually leaned against the wall, looking out a window so he could see the guards when they passed by. After they did he walked out the shop and up the street. He walked the familiar streets toward a different exit, he didn't get far before he saw a dismounted MagiTek soldier. He turned around, toward a different exit, and sure enough, there were two elite red-uniformed soldiers there too.

"They've got all the exits blocked. Now what am I going to do?" He said to himself. Suddenly, he herd his stomach growl, and realized how hungry he was. _I should work on this problem tomorrow._ He thought to himself. Then he walked back to the inn they stayed at the last time he was here.

Meanwhile, in that same castle to the east...

Cyan Garamondè, Retainer to the throne of Doma and Captain of the city's guard, surveyed the scene grimly.

Then he ducked, as a sword flew just above his head. He stabbed his katana into the attacker's gut and yanked it out in one movement. The Empire was leading a larger than usual attack on the city of Doma. Suddenly, he noticed the bright green clothing of an officer ahead of him, and came up with an idea. None of these soldiers seemed very experienced. They were probably all rookies. The empire was getting cocky and sending their newest troops, as if this was their training.

If he could... Yes, it might work. He charged forward, decapitating one guy and killing a few more. Finally he reached the Capitan. But he was ready, he stabbed with his sword, and Cyan just barely managed to block it. This man was actually a competent swordsman. He had not expected this.

"Who are you?" The Captain asked. "Your worst nightmare." Cyan said as he switched into a fighting stance and struck a feint to his right upper arm, but switched it at the last second to strike at the wrist. He saw the feint and blocked the slash, and countered with a low leg strike. Cyan jumped back to avoid the blow and stabbed with his katana. This time, his blade sunk into the Capitan's flesh. The Capitan fell to the earth, and didn't get back up. The soldiers, noticing that their Capitan had fallen, were left uncertain. Some ran, some fought on, some surrendered. But one thing was for sure. The battle was won.

That night, King Doma of Doma had a big feast to celebrate the day's victory. The Imperial soldiers were demoralized. Victory was nearly ensured for Doma. They had beaten the Empire within essentially minutes of the first sounds of fighting. Cyan had earned himself a medal for valor in combat. After the feast, Cyan returned home to his beautiful wife, Elaine; and his six-year-old son Owain. As he walked in the door, his son ran into him, giving him a big hug.

"Father, 'tis you."

"Owain, my son. How art thou?"

"Fine, father, I learned how to count to thirty today!"

"That is great, but is't not time for thee to go to bed?"

"But, father,"

"Go to bed!"

"Alright."

"I loveth thee, son." He walked into his room and shut the door.

"He art a cute child." Said Elaine

"Verily, he is"

Sabin Awoke on a beach. He was alone, lost, wet, and somewhat disoriented. He stood up, swayed a little bit, and looked around. He could see that behind the thin beach were some large plains, and beyond that was a bunch of trees, not enough to be called a forest. He looked harder and saw a thin column of smoke rising a mile or so to the east, and decided to go towards it.

When he arrived there, he found a house. It wasn't very large, but it looked inviting. He walked up to the door and knocked, expecting to ask for directions.

"Oh hi. Welcome, welcome. You must be the clock fixer. Come on in." Here he grabbed Sabin's hand and jerked him into the house. "Heck, that thing hasn't been ticking for five, eight, ten, heck, maybe even twenty years."

"I'm not a-"

"What are you doing, intruding on me? Oh, wait, you must be the stove repairman. Dang thing won't turn off."

"But I'm not-"

"Finally, the guy from Roof Life of Miranda. I haven't even sent for you guys. Your service is amazing."

"Um... Yes, I have arrived. Just let me go and grab a few things first." and with that, he turned around.

"Better hurry up. The plumbing won't fix itself."

Sabin walked out the door, closed it, and leaned against it, whispering "Phew" to himself, "That guy is a nut."

"I'd stay away from him if I were you." Said a low, even voice. "Mind snapped when his wife died in childbirth."

Sabin jumped. He hadn't noticed him before. "And who are you?" He asked

"Name's Shadow." He said "Noticed you're here alone. I think you might require my... assistance. 800 Gil. If you're heading toward Baren Falls, I'll make it 600"

"Where am I?" Sabin asked

"'Bout 17 miles west of Doma. Just through those woods and the imperial camp."

_ So Doma is the empire's next target. _"Okay, here's the money, I need to get to Figaro. I think that I might stop at Doma to get some better directions. Though I may need your help after that."

Locke awoke with a start. He needed to make his way back to Narshe. The only problem was that all the exits of the city were guarded. _How am I going to get out of here? _He wondered to himself. He went downstairs to go get breakfast. As he headed down the hall, he was too preoccupied to notice the merchant coming the other way. He was a rich one, with a purple vest and turban. And just like any rich merchant, he was stuck up.

"How dare you walk into me!" Yelled the merchant.

"Sorry about that." Said Locke, in a just-barely-under-control tone.

"Hey, wait a minute. Aren't you that thief in that wanted poster outside? Guar-" He was cut off by a fist in the nose. He fell to the ground.

"Next time, call me treasure hunter," Said Locke. He was about to hide the merchant in his room and just walk away, when he got an idea. He slipped off the merchant's purple vest and put it over his own, then stole his turban from off his head and put it over his own head. He looked just like a merchant. Now he could slip by any of the guards within the city without being noticed, but he couldn't escape without being asked for a merchant's license. What would he do?

He decided to walk around town. For some reason the richer half of the city was guarded by the brown-uniformed recruits. There was even a deep-brown-with-gold-trim of a MagiTek warriors. He couldn't find any way around them. His instinct was telling him that there was something interesting over there.

Suddenly he saw someone wave him down. He stopped, muscles tense, hoping that this wasn't going to end in a confrontation. "Hey you," he said, he was an old man, medium height, with a full grey beard. "I need some cider. Need it for some medicinal purposes."

"I'm afraid," he said faking a slight accent, "That I sold my last bottle not fifteen minutes ago."

"Then get me some from the bar. I'll pay you double what you pay for it."

"But the bar's on the other side of the city, I can't..."

"You mean you don't know of the secret path, through my house, to the other side of the city? Come, follow me carefully, and don't let any of the guards see you."

He followed the man into his own house, and out the other side.

"Feel free to use this path whenever you want. Oh, and one more thing. When you go for the cider, ask for the "special" recipe."

Locke guessed that the "special" recipe involved alcohol, but didn't say it aloud. Instead he headed toward the cafe. When he walked in, everyone went silent, saw that it was not a soldier, and went back to their conversations. Locke saw three men sitting around one of the tables, and sat at the next table over. There would be plenty of gossip there.

When he sat down, one of the waitresses walked over. Locke put down a few gil "One bottle of cider. Make it _special."_ He said, putting emphasis on the word 'special' so his meaning would not be missed.

"Oh, I see." Said the waitress with a wink. "One 'special' bottle of cider coming right up" she walked away and Locke leaned back and listened carefully to the conversation at the next table.

"...I don't know," said one man, "why the soldiers haven't take over the bar for the past two nights."

"I heard it was because a trouble making thief snuck into the town last night." said another. Locke held back the urge to punch the speaker.

"Now that might explain a few things." said the first.

"_I_ just wish that I could get out of the city for a change. I'm tired of these blasted soldiers everywhere." said the other.

"I hear that Mr. Golbez, that really rich man who lives in the northwest corner of the town has a secret passage out of the city. Used in the days when the pirates shanghaied people, but it would take a master thief to get in there, and since the soldiers have the main base there, it would be near impossible to escape that way."

"That old man who's always drinking his cider knows everything about the city. Maybe..."

"Here's your order, sir." said the waitress, bringing him back to himself. " A 'special' bottle of cider."

"Thank you!" he said. He started listening to their conversation again, but they had moved on to making comparisons of the physical attributes of all the waitresses. So Locke left them and went back to the man who wanted the cider.

"Oh, thank you!" He said "Here's your money."

"I don't want money," Said Locke. "I want information."

"Have it your way." He said "Just give me the cider"

"Not until I have my information"

"Alright, what do you want to know?"

"How do I get into the rich man's house in the northwest corner of town?"

"You sure you want to break into there? It's pretty heavily guarded."

"Just tell me how."

"Are you sur-"

"Just tell me what I want to know!" Locke burst forth impatiently.

"Alright, Alright. No need to get angry. Go downstairs into the basement and find the secret passage. If you're really the type of person I think you are, you should figure out how to find the secret shanghai tunnels. When you're down there go north and every turn you are forced to make, go left. You should find yourself under the rich man's house. So there! Are you satisfied."

"Just one more question. How do you know about this?"  
The old man got a mischievous gleam in his eye, "I was one such a treasure hunter as you." He said. "Okay. Now I've answered all of your questions. Now go! Leave me alone."

Locke went downstairs into the basement. It was littered with boxes and chests of stuff, a hat rack hung sideways on a wall, there was a shabby looking wardrobe on one wall. He opened the wardrobe and walked inside. At first there seemed to be no back, but when he saw snow he turned around. This was probably some sort of portal wardrobe. In frustration, he kicked a chest, and yelped in pain when it didn't budge. This made him even more frustrated, but he suddenly stopped when he got an idea. He opened the chest. Empty, but it should have budged when he kicked it. Of course! He searched the bottom of the box with his fingers and found a little dent in it. He slid it over to the side. Voila, an instant secret passageway. He climbed into the secret catacombs, unsure of what to expect.

The trip through the woods was long and boring. Shadow would cut short any semblances to a conversation that Sabin tried to start. But they made it through to the other side eventually. There was no way they could go around the camp without being spotted. The woods went close to the camp.

"How are we going to sneak through the camp, Shadow?" Sabin asked, turning his head toward Shadow, but he wasn't there. "Shadow? Shadow? Where are you?"

Suddenly a hand covered his mouth. "Watch carefully and follow closely." He said. "And be quiet."

There were no guard towers in the back side of the camp. The land was too narrow for any of the Domans to sneak around the camp and start a surprise attack. And the Empire seemed too confident to be expecting any reinforcements. Once they were _in_ the camp, though there were two guards on watch. In fact, they had to jump into a couple of empty barrels to avoid being spotted by these two guards. The guards walked by and didn't notice them. Sabin could hear them talking to each other.

"So, did you hear?" said one guard, in a less than quiet voice.

"About what?" The other one replied.

"If Leo-"

"-Shhh, quiet. If someone hears..."

"Sorry. Anyway, If Leo has to leave our camp, then Kefka will be the commanding officer."

"No way. If he becomes the commanding officer, then I'm leaving."

"Shut up! If he hears you, you'll be court marshaled."

"Speak of the devil, here he comes. Back to our posts."

Kefka strolled out of one the largest tents in the area with his hands held behind his back. His black-red eye shadow seemed particularly ferocious this day. His red and yellow and lime green clothes with a blood red cape looked quite out of place in a military camp.

"You. Hey you," He said sharply as he passed by, "Are you keeping a sharp lookout?"

"Y... Yes sir. You are Kefka, correct? How are you, sir?" said the guard.

"I don't care about your greetings. Just remember, if you don't do your job, then you'll be slowly dismembered." He began to walk away, "Oh, and Leo wants me to remind all 'able bodied' men to report to the deployment tent in an hour to prepare for another attack on Doma." He walked away.

"Why does Gestahl put up this clown?" Said one of the soldiers as soon as Kefka was out of sight.

"He looks as if his tent should be a circus tent instead of that." His companion replied

"Oh, If I could, I'd beat that clown up."

"Shut up! Do I always have to tell you to shut up. You're hopeless. I agree with you too, I don't even think he's human, but we shouldn't say anything aloud."

Sabin chuckled to himself,_ how easy it would be for his superiors to overhear him. They might even be right next to us._ He chuckled to himself again, then, when nobody else was looking, he checked the barrel right next to him.

Locke found his way to the house, but not without much difficulty. Some of the tunnel sections were flooded and Locke had no choice but to get water in his shoes. He also ran into the occasional group of rats. _I hate rats. _Locke thought to himself. And it was dark. The old man had conveniently forgotten to remind him to bring a torch, so he had to rig on up from a stick with a pine knot. But despite all of these challenges, Locke _did_ manage to find his way into the house.

He ended up in some sort of basement underneath the mansion. He had to push a large wardrobe out of the way to get out of the cluttered basement. As he was pushing it back, though, a jar of something smashed on the ground.

"What was that?" He heard a soldier say.

"A rat or something probably just knocked over something fragile." Came a reply.

"We should probably go check on it."

"Nah, we don't need to. Besides, it's cold down there."

"Remember what Kefka did to the last guy who didn't find an intruder in the basement until he had made off with several valuable items? Hung him by his feet from the second story of the house until he was crying from the headache."

"Alright, alright. I'll go down there."

Locke shuddered. He looked around for something heavy to slug the soldier with, but gave up. So he hid under a table next to the stairs. As the soldier reached the bottom of the stairs. Locke stuck out a leg and tripped him.

"What was that?" Said the other soldier.

"Just tripped over something."

The other soldier snickered "You trip over everything." he said.

Locke quickly jumped into action. He jumped onto the soldier while he was getting up. He then put him in a chokehold until he passed out. He tied him up with a strip of cloth that he found in the form of a shirt, then stuck a gag in his mouth.

"You alright down there?" Came that same voice.

"Yeah." Locke said, trying to imitate the soldiers voice. "I'm coming."

He walked up the stairs, hoping that the other guard would not try talking to him much. He reached the top, mumbled some excuse for being so slow, and maintained an air of silence. He was lucky, for the guard changed soon after. But, instead of going to the bar like most soldiers do, he went upstairs.

The upstairs seemed to be more lavish than downstairs. There was a gorgeous red carpet going down the long hallway. Vases and busts could be found in display cases on the walls. The walls were painted a nice cream color. A treasure hunter's paradise. _No, not now. I need to concentrate on escaping._

He went up to the first door he found and put his ear to it. He could hear a gruff, commanding voice of a Lieutenant. _Not this door_ he thought, so he silently moved to the next door. "...wind it up. Wind it up." Probably a playroom. Behind the next door he heard someone speak in a mournful voice "Why did I do it? I didn't need any money." _Hmmm... Time to try and take a risk._ He opened the door, put his finger to his mouth in a shhh-ish way.

"Hi, my name is Locke Cole. I am a member from the Returners. I am stuck in this city and looking for a way out. I heard that there is a passage out of here somewhere in this house. Could you help me."

The man looked at him with a surprised look on his face for a few minutes, then seemed to finally understand. "Look behind the bookcase in this room. But be careful, soldiers use it as an underground base."

Locke nodded, then went to push the shelf over. To his surprise, it moved quite easily. He walked through the doorway and closed the shelf behind him with the handle on the other side. He looked around, everything looked so stony. The staircase in front of him was pure concrete. Perfect feel for a military base. He carefully walked down the stairs, looking out for soldiers. When he reached the bottom, he looked both ways and, saw three soldiers walking into a room. After they entered, Locke peeked through a small window in the wall. There was a woman shackled up in the back of the room.

_She looks familiar,_ thought Locke. _That's right, she's one of the Imperial Generals._

The foremost guard struck her with the back of his hand. She took it and didn't even flinch. "Ha ha," the guard said "This is what happens to traitors." and struck her again. "How far the invincible General Celes has fallen. It's a good thing that I caught you writing that letter. Now I hear that I'm one of the next in line to fill the vacant General position."

"Makes sense," Said Celes, "You brutalize the weak to strike fear into the others. You're no better than General Kefka."

"Silence!" The soldier yelled.

"Speaking of Kefka, I hear he's planning to slaughter all the inhabitants of the eastern country of Doma with poison."

_Doma! _Thought Locke, _With poison. I just wish I could get word out there, but I fear anything I send will be too late._

"Shut up!" Said the soldier as he struck her again. She collapsed to the ground. "Speak all you want. Nobody can hear you. Anyway, I just dropped in to tell you that your public execution is scheduled for tomorrow." Then he turned to one of the other soldiers accompanying him, "You. Keep an eye on her."

The soldier saluted. "Yes sir. I can go for three days and nights without sleeping."

"Good. Let's go."

Locke panicked for a second then remembered that he was wearing a uniform. As the soldiers walked out of the room, he stopped and saluted. They didn't even seem to notice him. They passed him by and walked to the end of the hallway, heading up another set of stairs which probably led to the general's room upstairs. They stopped to talk a minute at the base of the stairs, so Locke had to walk around the corner and listen for them to stop talking.

He walked back to the door. He could see that the soldier that was standing guard was already asleep. Locke chuckled to himself, _Three days and nights, eh. _He silently opened the door, and Celes looked up. "You're a little short for an Imperial Soldier." She said.

"Oh," Said Locke, as he looked at himself, then stole the key ring from off the soldier, "Sorry about the getup. I'm Locke, a returner." then he unchained her and lifted her onto her feet.

"Returners, I see. I'm General Celes, or at least I used to be. Now I'm a common traitor."

"Well, thanks for the introductions, but let's get out of here."

"You would take me along? You shouldn't bother, it's no use. I couldn't even run if we were sighted by a soldier. In that case, facing my destiny is more my thing."

"It's alright. I'll protect you."

"But what if-"

"I said I would protect you. That's a promise. Now let's go."

"Wait. That guard has a key in his pocket."

Locke suddenly remembered that there was a guard in the room too, and turned to him. He nimbly grabbed the key out of the guard's pocket. "Got it. Let's go." he said as suddenly, the guard spoke. "Hey there!" Locke stiffened, "You forgot the bread." Locke relaxed again. He was just talking in his sleep. "Alright, _now_ let's go."

As they started to leave Celes spoke, "Only a thief-"

_"_I'm a _Treasure hunter" _Locke interrupted, somewhat annoyed.

"Only a _thief_ could swipe that key so easily." she insisted defiantly. Locke was mad and surprised at the same time. Mad because nobody called him a thief and got away with it, but surprised because she was still so spirited for being so weak.

"Now," Said Locke "perhaps you know which way is out?"

"That door." Said Celes, pointing.

As they walked through the hall at the other side of the door, Celes' legs began to give. Locke caught her. "Guess I'm weaker than I thought." she said.

"Here, drink this." Said Locke as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pinkish potion and handed it to her. "It'll boost your energy."

She took the flask, uncorked it, and drank it. She looked a little better. "Alright, let's go." She said, "I don't want to be caught dead in this place, or even alive, if possible."

They went down the passageway. The way was pretty strait forward, all of the misleading side passages went only a short distance. Once, they heard a small patrol of soldiers coming towards them. They hid in the nearest side passage. They froze; Locke held his breath. It seemed to take forever for all of them to walk by, but eventually they did, and Locke and Celes continued on. Finally their way dead-ended on them and they found a trapdoor that lead upwards. They had made it!


End file.
